Familiar Foes

After helping bury the local dead, a chore that took a bit of time, I was looking around and noticed that we did not have enough bodies to fill all of the graves. I asked about this to one of the townsfolk helping with the duties. Rigald, a local farmer, said that they were sure the missing ones were just destroyed by fire, or something.

Then I asked if every grave had emptied out, he was not sure. After a bit of thinking, a subject that did not suite Rigald very well, he pointed to a mausoleum and said that none had come from there. I decided to take a quick look then go and get some sleep.

Once I got near the crypt in question I began to feel a strange sensation, like the hair standing on the back of my neck. I had never felt this before, which made me more curious. Now, I had once been told by my father that when curious dwarves die, they come back as gnomes. Pushing the image of that out of my head I examined the door to the crypt for signs of it having been opened. To my surprise it had what looked like claw marks around the edges.

I grabbed hold of the door and swung it open. At that point I should have realized that no good would be found in this tomb. But hey, how bad could it be, a door to a mausoleum that was so old the townsfolk don’t know who is buried in it, and the door opens with barely any effort.

Once I opened the door I notice the floor covered with skeleton remains. Undaunted I went inside to see what else could be found. Now, the mausoleum was built against a hill, and this corridor went back a few feet. There at the end I found what made my hair stand on end, the holy symbol of Tiamat. After spitting on the ground and tightening my grip so tight on my axe that my fingers began to turn white, I back out of the crypt and shut the door. “This my friend will take a bit of rest and the help of our friends,” the gargoyle carving on the nearby tombstone did not respond to me. I patted the gargoyle on the head and went back to get some rest. It wasn’t that I was talking to the gargoyle, it just was some carved stone, which is the closest thing to a dwarf I have found in this smelly town.

Later that day, after getting some rest, I went up to the temple to ask some questions about this town. First let me say, it is no proper temple, but I once heard a traveler say “any port in a storm.” I talked to the paladin, who as it so happens, does not know nearly a single thing about this town, or area. After beating my head against the wall at the temple, I went back to the inn to get some more rest. I decide to sleep against the door again, partially because it helped me before, and partly because of what the paladin said.
I had told him I was going to get some sleep, he said, “What makes you think the dead won’t come after us again tonight?”

During the night the alarms did wail; quickly I was up armed and armored. Out the door I went, happily, the others from the inn were headed to the cemetery too. Most of them ran ahead of me. Only a new person was with me, well, him and a boy. The new person told me his name, and the boy’s; I am sure I will remember them if they survive this night.

The human male was asking me what was going on, I began to fill him in on why we seemed to be charging a cemetery. At least it seemed odd enough for him to ask; a real thinker this one is. Well, after getting the basic fact he began to slow his pace as if considering going the other way. I saw the look of doubt in his eyes and I took the opportunity to feed his fires a little. That is what Croyly always called it. I asked my new friend if that was a sword on his belt, then asked him if he wasn’t going to use it, there are some women around that could.

After that I had a hard time keeping his pace, especially with my chuckle slowing me down. Finally we arrived atop a small rise to see two guards and our other friends of the inn fighting a group of undead. In we went, both of us going to the side of the male barbarian who was about to be surrounded. The battle was fierce for they had us outnumbered and did not seem to mind dying.

After a bit I heard the thunder and again I was inspired. I pulled my silver holy symbol and held it high. It worked by golly, at least a little, some of them turned and fled. Another try yielded me no results, so I went back to turning them with my axe. If you hit them just right, one half turns to the left and the other to the right.

I heard calls of my friends, the male barbarian was off to my side and looking worse for ware. I finished the one I was fighting and ran over to put some of Clangeddin’s blessing on him. Then back to the fight. It was about that time when I heard a cry out from the far side of the fight, the female barbarian had been downed. Before I could make a move in that direction, her husband rushed by and picked her up. Before I could yell to bring her to me, he was gone over the hill.

Next thing I know I hear more cries for retreat. I begin telling everyone to go, I will slow them down. And as I began backing up, keeping the undeads’ attention on me. This worked until that new human ran in front of me. Darned fool had near to no armor and wounded to boot. Together we backed up, while he learned every curse word I know. The stubborn fool was trying to prove himself not a coward, probably for what I had said to him earlier.

I took it well, for a few seconds, then just yanked him by the collar and dragged him away from the danger. Finally he turned and ran to help the others. Then the male barbarian was back. Doing nearly the same thing as the last durn fool. I yelled; he smiled. I don’t think he understands big words.

Finally we got back to the temple and held up for the night. The gnome, Sprocket was very talkative. She gathered the group together from the inn and we shared the information we had gathered during the day. I believe that to save this town, we will have to bind together and go to these ruins they talked about.

The new human, Ronyá or Ronye something— his child seems to be half dark-elf. When saving this town is all and done, I shall have to talk to this man, perhaps he may be able to help me on my journey.

We are doing our best to rest now. At first light we will be heading to the ruins, to the green light.